The Daddy Diary: California Gurls

With Reddy (the car).

(November 3, 2011)

When we last left our intrepid left-coast travelers, the family had narrowly averted a Marni meltdown at the airport...

The California Gurls had an uneventful flight. Food. Movies. Naps. We landed at LAX around 9:30 pm and headed to pick up our rental car. A little snafu resulted in us getting a nice, red SUV which the girls loved and quickly named Reddy.

We got to our hotel in Orange County an hour later and transferred the sleepy kids to their beds. So ended Day 1.

Day 2 started early because we needed to get to DisneyLand to meet up with Uncle Theo and Aunt Cindy. Mr. Theo hooked us up royally. First ride... "Soarin' Over California". Then, "Ariel's Underwater Adventure". And more, and more, and more! Everyone (including Theo) was having a blast.

We did hit a bump though when we tried to take the girls through the Haunted Mansion. As the lights dimmed and the scary noises got louder... the two girls went mad! And not in a good way. Time for an emergency extraction out the closest exit.

Things went smoothly the remainder of the day.

Even though Theo had made special arrangements for us to view World of Color, the girls' energy was gone after dinner. So we bid Theo and Cindy a fond farewell and headed back to the hotel and to bed.

Day 3 was also spent at DisneyLand, but sans Theo and Cindy. The wet whether didn't dampen our enthusiasm and we spent a full day doing everything! The favorite ride? Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters.

On Day 4 we attended the Bat Mitzvah of Lisa's friend Mark's daughter Kira. The girls' first Bat Mitzvah! In the afternoon we took the girls to meet the Pacific Ocean at Balboa Beach. Then, it was time for the main event... Kira's Bat Mitzvah Party Spectacular!

Stella and Marni busted out their most awesomest party dresses and headed for their first ever grown up party. Their heads almost popped off when they got a load of everything going on. Candy galore. Photo booth. DJ. Dancers. Food. Pinball machines. Custom hat makers.

The daughters did a great job of keeping up with the teenagers. They ate. Ran around. Danced. Played DJ games.

But by 10 they were begging to go home. And so ended day 4.

Petting sharks.

Day 5 started with brunch at the beautiful Rapp home in The O.C. Then we jumped into Reddy and headed for the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. Pretty nice place. There, the gals got to pet sharks, sting rays, and jelly fish. We also let exotic birds sit on our heads.

On Day 6 the Shepard family moved north for a very special visit to Disney Studios. Uncle Theo gave us a great tour of the lot. We even got to watch them mix sound for a TV show.

After our tour we went into L.A. to see the sights. Hollywood sign. Kodak Theater. Hollywood Walk of Fame. Grauman's Chinese Theater.

We wrapped up the day at Theo and Cindy's house for delicious dinner. The girls even met Kendall (the dog).

Our last night was spent at a rather nice Embassy Suites Hotel at LAX.

On Day 7 we headed for home. All was on schedule until we checked out and got onto the airport shuttle bus. It was then that we noticed that Marni's Bear was missing. Everyone off of the bus. I quickly retraced our steps in the lobby. Nothing. Then I headed back to the room, where I found Bear sitting on the bedroom floor.

Back on the bus.

The flight was smooth and without meltdowns. By early evening we were back in Brooklyn and getting ready for bed. Tomorrow was a school day.

As I write this post almost 2 months later, the girls are still talking about the trip. Pretty much every day Marni talks about wanting to go back to California.

But we have lots of other places to explore. They want to see the Great Wall of China. They want to go to Clearwater, Florida. And I think I've heard them mention something about visiting penguins in Antarctica.